A&F Bath vs Surrey

Would I be correct that Surrey (Guildford) has more to do off-campus with the cinema and nice shopping mall?

Hi

I was wondering what your thoughts are on these two courses and what the main advantages of Bath are that I've missed:

I applied for accounting and finance and narrowed down my conditional offers to Bath (AAA) and Surrey (AAB) and it's driving me crazy. Both universities are really high on the league tables for A&F, student satisfaction is great at both places, both universities have similar courses, both unis have really good employer relations, both locations are crazy expensive and both places have great campuses. If I choose Bath then Surrey will be my insurance, but if I choose Surrey then my insurance will be Manchester.

I think I would be right in saying that the advantages of Bath would be reputation with employers, nicer accommodation, better weather?, and Bath has a bit of a reputation for having posh students which might make it easier for me to fit in as I've been living in Cambridge since I was a toddler.

Surrey should be easier to get into as I hear Bath would be strict about the AAA and judging from there being clearing spaces at Surrey for A&F last year they would cut some slack. Would I be correct that Surrey (Guildford) has more to do off-campus with the cinema and nice shopping mall?

I'm worried about one of my A-Levels and I think I could just as easily end up with something along the lines of A*AC so I feel like if Surrey is my firm then they'll be more likely to let me in if I do underperform than if they were my insurance.

Hi,

I'm Rob, a second year civil engineer.

It is great you are thinking about your options, and you have come up with some really good points. I also applied to Surrey and Bath, so went through a similar process to you. For me, ultimately Bath had a better reputation that Surrey and a better course for civil engineering. However you are obviously going to be doing a different course so this won't be the same.

I will try and identify a few possible things about Bath that may help your decision.

Firstly, the campus has a really nice feel. It is pretty small and lots is always going on, making it a really nice student atmosphere. There is also the lake with grass and benches around which is great is Summer! The campus has everything, from Banks to shops to cafes, so you probably don't ever need to leave campus (although it'd probably drive you a little made!)

Bath also has some great sport facilities, and opportunities for all abilities. From memory, I believe Surrey also has a great sports complex, so maybe you could make some comparisons here.

Bath as a city is really pretty. Yes, there are quite a few tourists that can get in the way as you're doing your shopping, but there are some great sights. For example, the Bath Abby, Roman Baths and even a tea shop are world famous! This does mean that some things in Bath are a little more expensive than other cities, but it does allow for a few great afternoons!

In terms of accommodation, I think all university is very similar at all universities. Every university has some slightly newer or nicer accommodation so personally I wouldn't make a decision based on this alone.

I hope that helps. If there is anything else I can help with, please get back to me.

Rob

Thanks for that, could you tell me if the AAA offer from Bath is an 'equivalent to' offer or if I have to get straight As?